The new EP, ‘Reaper’s Consecration’, comes out next week in the US, what are your thoughts about that?
First of all thanks for supporting Zombiefication and the underground. Here Mr. Jacko composer and live bass player of the band. Now going to your question, I can say that we are excited of having our new EP Reaper´s Consecration on the streets. The feedback from media has been really good and we can´t wait for people to give it a try. They will surely find honest and punishing death metal in it´s 5 songs.
Tell us about the recording experience with Lord Brave at Revolution Studios.
Recording with Lord Brave was, as always, fucking amazing. He is the best metal producer in Mexico and has also been in the death metal scene since the end of the 80′s, so he surely is a man that understands what metal is about and was able to capture the exact sound we were after. He was in charge of all the recording and then we sent the material to Necromorbus Studios in Sweden, where Tore, who has worked with Watain, Unanimated, Desultory and many more, did the mixing and mastering. We are stoked with the final outcome, and there is a big possibility of repeating this in the future.
What were the key elements of inspiration in creating the songs for ‘Reaper’s Consecration’?
What really drives the zombie music is the true passion we have for extreme metal in all of it’s forms whether it is death, black, doom or whatever. At the same time, the great response we got from our debut Midnight Stench really helped get the car rolling.
I may be jumping the gun a bit, but are there any workings for another full length?
Of course there are!!! We have like 16 songs ready and from those we will end up choosing 8-9 that will make it in the full length. Right now the material is being worked and arranged and we will soon find what songs will be the chosen ones. I can tell you that the material is more varied and will contain a few surprises, but don’t worry, thick as fuck and heavy ass metal suprises none the less!
How about touring, any plans?
Right now we have some dates in Mexico. We have also been playing some shows earlier in the year, but nothing really to be called a tour. We are looking forward to making an important one next year though so you should hear about it. I guarantee you a full on energetic death metal experience. Ja.
Being a two piece, how does this effect playing out? Do you keep the same live musicians when gigging?
It wasn’t really a big problem. We have very good friends and musicians who jumped in the Zombiefication train when we told them we wanted to make Zombiefication a live band. The live musicians are Mr. Brains, Mr. Hammer, and Mr. Kim, and they come from great Mexican bands like Rapture and Piraña. I recommend you checking those out.
About if we keep the same live musicians when gigging, yes we do, being Mr. Brains and Mr. Hammer the newest additions since our old guitar player and drummer couldn’t make it anymore.
You handle the music composition, correct? Is Mr. Hitchcock involved with the writing process?
I am in charge of all the musical composition of the band. Once I have the ideas ready I send them to Mr. Hitch and sometimes he has some ideas or tweeks that can be made to the songs and we work on those. Once we have decided on the structure, Mr. Hitch, who is also the vocalist, goes to the lyric department and starts to put everything into place. It is awesome working as a 2-piece band, specially since we do everything by distance, and when recording I have no clue about how the vokills will turn out and viceversa. I think this says a lot about the confidence we have in each other.
We could say that Zombieficaiton has departments. I do all the music composition and press, while Mr. Hitch is charge of lyrics, all the art behind Zombiefication, he is a truly talented zombie and the concept.
What is the Mexican death metal scene like?
The Mexican death metal scene is pretty shitty if you ask me. Instead of supporting each other, if a band does good, the others try to step on it instead of supporting it. There are really great bands in this country, but only few of them really understand the true brotherhood of the underground. Hopefully one day the Mexican scene can realize that we can have a fucking amazing scene and work together for it. In the meantime, the few of us that are trying to put Mexican death metal back on track, will keep on doing it.
Any bands from down there we should be aware of?
Of course, besides the known ones as The Chasm, Cenotaph, Shub Niggurath and Argentum, I recommend you newer ones like Gutwrench, who just signed with Razorback, Evil Entourage, Infinitum Obscure, The Suffering, Hacavitz and the ones from our live members.
When you’re not doing anything band related, what do you like to do?
I have three passions in life, metal of corpse, my family, and soccer. So when not attacking my strings, I spend time with family and my three daughters and play soccer three times a week. Unfortunately two days ago a disk in my column got a bite from one of my back nerves and I can barely move. I will be in total calm for five days and all droogy and will go to the doctor next week to see how I am doing.
Lastly, if you could make it happen, which band would you resurrect from the grave to play once more, as zombies of course?
Mmmmmmmhhhh, this is a pretty good question but an easy one too. I would surely wake up Jon and tell him to move his ass with the Dissection/Zombiefication tour! It would be amazing to resurrect them and bring past glories to life.
Thanks a lot for the interview and for supporting Zombiefication as I said before. Find us on Facebook and please contact our labels, Pulverised and Chaos Records for anything related with the band. Maybe a huge European tour or I don’t know maybe one with Dissection! Buy our debut Midnight Stench and our new EP Reaper’s Consecration. Keep on spreading the stench!
Interview conducted by: Matt Darcy
